When was the last time you took a moment to look through your phone’s photo gallery and reminisce about memories, like you would with a physical photo album? Probably not very often.

In a digital world, the act of holding a printout of your photo has lost its significance, as has the enjoyment that comes with it. But what if you could bring back that enjoyment and conveniently print on-demand? This is where the Fujifilm Instax mini Evo fills the gap.

What is the Fujifilm Instax mini Evo?

The Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo is a digital camera that also functions as a Polaroid printer. This means you can take photos with it and print them in the form of Polaroids.

Additionally, you can connect the camera to your smartphone and print photos directly from your gallery using the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo app, which is available on both the App Store and Google Play Store for free.

But of course, the Polaroid films are not free. They cost between $11.90 and higher, depending on the designs. Having a price tag for the printout means that you will be more careful in choosing when to print it out, whether to keep it in your wallet or on your corkboard at home.

Features of the Instax mini Evo

• Camera with Surprising Manual Functions: At first glance, the Instax mini Evo may not inspire confidence in its built-in camera capabilities. However, appearances can be deceiving. The Instax mini Evo features a 28mm lens with an aperture of 2.0, allowing you to capture shots in low-light environments, although I would not recommend it. It also offers a shutter speed range from a quarter to 1/8000 and supports ISO settings up to 1,600. Additionally, there is a built-in flash. That’s plenty of camera for a polaroid camera.
• Enhance your images with photo editing: You can use the app to further enhance the colors of your photos. Fairly basic but good enough.
• Add fun with filters and lens effects: The Instax mini Evo offers a variety of filters and lens effects, giving you about 100 options to make your printouts unique. You can easily access them through the camera’s film dials and front lens.
• Preview your shot with the LCD screen: The camera’s LCD display allows you to preview your shot, as well as the chosen filter and lens effect, before capturing the picture. This feature gives you added confidence and control over what you’re capturing. And yes, you can also touch to focus.
• Printing options: The Instax mini Evo offers two methods for printing images, depending on the mode you are using. If you are printing existing photos directly from the device, simply pull the lever on the top right to start printing. It’s quite addictive, by the way. Alternatively, if you are printing a photo through the mobile app, you can initiate the print by pressing the print button. The printing time takes less than 30 seconds, but for it to develop, can take more than a minute.
• Enjoy the convenience of storage: Unlike other Polaroid cameras, the Fujifilm Instax mini Evo lets you store your shots. They won’t be printed unless you choose to do so, reducing wasted images and helping you save money on Polaroid films! The onboard storage can hold up to 45 images, but you can expand it with a microSD card.

Worth buying

Polaroids hold a special place in my heart, as they evoke many nostalgic memories. It’s intriguing how these cameras have evolved to serve a distinct purpose in an era dominated by digital convenience, where the value of tangible memories has diminished. Rather than keeping them stored on our phones, we have the chance to print select memories and hold them close.

The Fujifilm Instax mini Evo brings a unique offering to the world of Polaroid cameras. It effectively combines the best of both digital and traditional Polaroid cameras, embracing the advantages of the current era while paying homage to the past.

It is packed with features like filters and lens effects, making it even more enjoyable to use. With its phone-app connectivity, you can also effortlessly print photos from your phone gallery onto the mini Evo in a matter of seconds. I personally use my phone to capture the moments and have it printed.

Pricing and Availability

You can purchase a brand new Fujifilm Instax mini Evo in black or clay color for S$329. However, as the model has been out for more than a year, you can get it at a lower price during sales on Lazada and Shopee. If you are on a tight budget, try Carousell. 😉